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The U.S. attorney's office has issued a grand jury subpoena seeking records from the county authority that oversees PNC Field.

It is the latest revelation of a widening federal probe into how Lackawanna County was governed under the previous administration of Commissioner A.J. Munchak and former Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro.

The Lackawanna County Multipurpose Stadium Authority received a subpoena from the U.S. attorney's office late last week for copies of all approved contracts between 2004 and 2008, authority solicitor Frank Tunis confirmed. Mr. Tunis and airport officials have declined to release copies of the subpoenas, but The Times-Tribune was able to obtain copies Tuesday of both, posted with this story on thetimes-tribune.com.

Federal prosecutors made a similar request for construction records from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport - jointly overseen by Luzerne and Lackawanna counties - and have sought records of all Lackawanna County payments to Mr. Cordaro.

Mr. Munchak acknowledged Tuesday the scope of the federal investigation seems to be focusing on his and Mr. Cordaro's tenure as majority.

"It certainly appears that way ... I hope they'll be ready to issue an apology when they find nothing was done illegally," Mr. Munchak said.

Mr. Munchak said he has no idea what the feds are after.

"I guess it's because we put a new field in, I guess it's because we built a new clubhouse. I don't why they're doing this other than trying to find something that the Cordaro/Munchak administration did wrong," he said.

Both Mr. Munchak and Mr. Cordaro previously said they have not received target letters. Neither has been charged with wrongdoing.

In subpoenas to both the airport and stadium authorities, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Scranton requested "a copy of all contracts entered from January 1, 2004 through January 31, 2008 for design, construction, remodeling, refurbishment and concessions ... and all invoices submitted and payments made related to said contracts."

Both subpoenas said information must be turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Scranton before an Aug. 18 grand jury meeting.

Airport director Barry Centini and the stadium authority solicitor Mr. Tunis both said they planned to fully comply with the requests.

Majority Commissioner Mike Washo declined to speculate on what the investigation is looking at.

"I'm going to let the federal officials do their job and we'll see where it all ends," Mr. Washo said Tuesday. "We want to assure everyone that the county and its authorities will comply fully and expeditiously with any request."

Between 2004 and 2008, decisions by the former majority commissioners dramatically remade baseball in Northeast Pennsylvania. Mr. Cordaro and Mr. Munchak oversaw $3.5 million in improvements to locker room facilities - which the pair have said helped bring the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to the region - and paid $638,000 to replace the baseball field at PNC Field.

Commissioners also approved a management agreement with Mandalay Baseball Properties that allows Mandalay an option to buy the team.

The field, installed in 2007, will need to be replaced this year after it failed to properly drain water. It was learned recently the field was only meant to last three to five years. Mr. Cordaro had planned to replace PNC Field with a new stadium for the SWB Yankees - with the understanding that the management company would first agree to invest $150 million in a New York Yankees-themed retail complex, hotel and museum.

During those same four years, Mr. Cordaro and Mr. Munchak, with commissioners from Luzerne County, oversaw the $80 million makeover of the airport terminal building, a new parking garage, roads and cargo building.

Reached Tuesday, officials from other county departments and independent authorities - including COLTS, the Northeast Pennsylvania Railroad Authority and the Lackawanna County Housing Authority - said they have received no subpoenas from federal investigators.

Mr. Centini said legal advisors for the airport are reviewing the subpoena and deciding what needs to be turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He said much of the terminal work was contracted for prior to Jan. 1, 2004.

But even taking that into consideration, he expected the amount of paperwork to be "substantial."

Contact the writer: cschillinger@timesshamrock.com

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31 posted comments

What I find ironic is that TweedleDEE DUMB and TweedleDEE DUMBER are posing with not only a NEW YORK Yankee cap but in the background just to the left of BeBop Bob Cordaro's head are symbols of what the Lackawanna County Stadium used to be back in the days of the Democrats. The two symbols are one football goal post and one soccer goal.Ah the good old days, when the stadium was a multi-purpose stadium. A community facility. And not PNC field, the sole balliwick of some corporate fat cats. Close to 2,000 youth soccer players participated every year in the Commissioner's Cup Sopccer Tournament. Yes. That is correct. 2,000!!!!Current number at PNC field? ZIP! ZILCH! ZERO! Thanks a lot Bob. Same to you AJ. And the same to your co-conspirators.

It has been written that: "A community gets the politicians that it deserves." It cannot get any clearer than that.

It is well-known that generally people from Scranton get jobs because of association with local politicians. Why so many crass remarks. Why so many disgusting slights. These are the leaders that you....I said YOU elected. Are you listening Scranton? Are you listening residents of Lackawanna County?

Perhaps the solution is stop being such whiney-a-- people. You send your kids to school and cry if they leave home. You whine about unfairness, but run all the interference you can for your own. The only thing that matters is you and yours. Well, guess what?

The best Scranton ever looked to me was when I saw it in the rearview mirror. You don't like it in Scranton? Then suck-up to more pols. Ask for more favors. Kiss more butt. You'll dislike it even more.

Bob Cordero did not;cause the Phillies to look to move their affiliation from NEPA,that was the result of the previous administrations continual meddling in the teams operations for their own political reasons,nor did he allow the Stadium to fall into disrepair by a lack of upkeep over the years-that too can be attributed to the former county commissioners and their hand picked stadium authority.Cordero did; secure a contract with one of the highest profile sports franchise in the world,bring in a management group to run the team that promised a 150 million dollar development if he could provide them with a new stadium-replacing the one in disrepair that needed millions to fix anyway.Not a bad deal-one most of us would have done. Yes he did agree to sell the team but only if the new owners agreed to a 20 year lease at the ballpark and a 150 million dollar development. Where does everyone think the team was going to go once that all happened. Granted the turf situation is very unfortunate but he relied on the baseball experts from Mandalay to take care of that. They hired the Motz group and they knew the turf had a short lifespan and did nothing about it. Then it rained more than anyone expected and the problem became real. When was Mandalay going to mention to the current commissioners there was a problem with the field-next year ? Bob Cordero was gone.Instead of being proactive they were reactive,not real cutting edge Mandalay. Not quite sure anyone of us would not have made the same deal to secure the Yankees and Mandalay is as much to blame for the field-if not more than Cordero.

Don't forget readers, Mike Washo was the third county commissioner when Cordaro and Munchak were in the majority. I find it hard to believe one man, (Cordaro) could pull off all he is being accused of or the innuendos being made, without the other two commissioners unable to determine this. And if you think O'Brien and Washo are innocent of any nepotism and dirty politics, you should think again. They are no different than any other I've seen, just a little more subtle about it.

Nothin' but a bunch of crooks! just like everything else in Northeast PA. Mafia run for many years.....no jobs, no opportunity....high unemployment, even Joe Biden couldn't wait to leave and never came back......Just like me. I left and never looked back....Crappy city, crappy crooks....

It's not as embarrassing that there are Federal investigators here as it is embarrassing that we keep electing this level of scum.

But, like the poster noted, they buy the drinks and get cousin Ralphie, you know the one that's just a little "different," a job and someone's sister who has to pay someone to get a job because she couldn't get one any other way, so they must be good guys.

They take our money, repackage it and return some of it and we think they're Gods. Go figure.

Victor Rosario, I agree 100%. The Phillies brought a lot of great players through Scranton...Howard, Utley, Rollins, Hamels, Victorino, etc etc. The Yankees ignore their farm system and buy star players from other teams. But I don't blame the Phils for leaving, they got sick of the inbred Lackawanna County politics.

The whole problem with this area is the amount of jealousy everyone has, I've lived all over and these things go on all over. I believe Cordaro did what he thought was best while in office. I'll admit, he was a bit full of himself but overall don't think he was a bad guy.

Sure Mark Mon he buys coffee & drinks. That certainly makes him a great guy. Get real! Lets see how this gets pushed under the carpet. Just like the County Tax money that all of a sudden appeared and now all of a sudden is taken care of.

Well...hopefully they can follow the trail of money that leads from Mandalay to Slick Bobby's bank account. There is no other way to comprehend how he could have signed a contract that practically gives the franchise away to them. There HAS to be a payoff somewhere in that deal.

Once again, people, this ISN'T Scranton, it's LACKAWANNA COUNTY that is being looked at. At this point, it's only an inquiry, no one has been arrested. I always thought that the contracts were shrouded in too much secrecy; even if nothing illegal is found, it's good to shed light on what was going on back then. The whole business with the new field and the Yankees coming seemed too good to be true and we find out now...it was!

I love the comment "only in scranton" Do you people watch the news. New Jersey FEDS just arrested half the state. The last three Chicago mayors were arrested. I would rather a corrupt politician then a drug dealer on welfare. That's what needs to be cleaned up.